Buccaneers should edge Saints and Seahawks

It's clear that in the NFC, there's going to be more than a few good teams left out of the playoff picture.

I'm OK with assuming that the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers are already in. But I'm not ready to go there with the 6-4 New York Giants, who are currently reeling and have a tough schedule down the stretch. There's a good chance the Giants and Dallas Cowboys will be tied after next week, though that might not affect the last wild-card spot, just the NFC East race. In my mind, the division title and that final wild-card spot are both up for grabs.

Seattle has the toughest defense to prepare for in football and a rapidly improving rookie quarterback. In short, I like the Seahawks to stay ahead of all of the wild-card contenders. But don't be surprised if the Niners, and not the Seahawks, wind up taking that last wild-card spot.

The Seahawks' defense is very good, which is essential for winning on the road, and they run the ball well with Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson has made enough plays -- and has shown enough poise -- to give Seahawks fans hope that he'll be consistent enough down the stretch to win close games.

It'll all come together for the Cowboys

This is going to come down to the final week of the regular season, because all of these teams are inconsistent.

Their records will all be similar, but that doesn't mean we can't weed teams out. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggle against too many of the teams they should be able to easily put away, and they'll stumble at some point. The Seattle Seahawks' next two games are on the road (where they're 1-4) against the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, and 6-4 could easily turn into 6-6. The Seahawks will be facing a must-win scenario in Week 17 in order to stay alive in the playoff chase, but it might not be enough.

The big domino is going to fall in Week 16, when the New Orleans Saints face the Dallas Cowboys. The winner should put itself in a position where a Week 17 victory will send it to the postseason. Do I trust the Saints to take a must-win game on the road in December? I do not. Not with the Cowboys' secondary playing extremely well and receiver Dez Bryant turning into a monster. So yeah, I think what I thought at the beginning of the season: Dallas is going to the playoffs.

But if I was an NFC team, the Saints are the one squad I wouldn't want to be playing right now. After a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8, New Orleans has pulled itself back to .500 by winning three straight.